In Hindsight
by ListeningToTheSilence
Summary: Henry falls through Zelena's time portal and finds himself in the Enchanted Forest. He needs to find a way back home and in order to do so, he seeks aid from the Evil Queen. Extract from story: An expression of annoyed disbelief sat on the woman's face, and Henry was crestfallen. "I'm your Little Prince."
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

A New Horizon

* * *

><p>Henry desperately attempted to cling onto something that would keep him from plummeting into the swirling vortex below him. He dug his fingers into the crumbling soil that encircled the portal, however the dirt around him loosened, and Henry fell backwards into the ominous abyss.<p>

Sharp pain was the first thing Henry registered. He'd fallen onto something solid, and could feel loose, granulated earth between his fingertips. His head twitched, as the sound of heavy footsteps approached him.

"Get up, boy," said a gruff voice.

Henry's eyes snapped open, and were immediately blinded. Bright rays of sunlight blurred out the man standing before him. "Get up boy," the man repeated.

Placing both of his hands firmly on the ground, Henry pushed himself from the ground. He wobbled, unbalanced from his strenuous journey, but stumbled into place once he realised that it was a black knight that stood in front of him. His eyes darted to his surroundings, surveying the vast forest he had fallen into. "The Enchanted Forest?" Henry said, more as a statement than it was a question.

He looked to the carriage that stood in front of him, and instantly recognized the aristocratic crest it was decorated with. "Mom," he whispered, as he ran towards the carriage door, without a moment of forethought.

Before he had time to realise what he had done, two robust guards pushed him back into the dirt road. Henry was about to stand once more, but the carriage door had opened, and Henry had froze.

She wore impossibly tall heels. They were the color of blood, and looked as though they had been sharpened - perhaps for a reason other than to impress those invested in the fashion world. His eyes trailed upwards to the extravagant gown she wore that flared out around her waist, and then to the cold expression she wore so well.

"What is taking so long?"

The two knights released their grip on Henry, and bowed. Henry smiled, noting the fear that his mother instilled in these men with a single sentence. "Your majesty," said one of the men. "This boy tried to enter your carriage. He-"

The man was silenced by the wave of a hand. The Queen - could he still call her his mother? - looked towards Henry, as he felt his heartbeat increase. "And why is it that you are getting in my way?"

"Mom," Henry said, almost in a whisper. he brushed off the dirt from his shirt, as though to make himself presentable.

"You've fallen on your head, child," the woman sneered, bending down to his height. "I am no one's mother."

Henry took a step towards her, but felt the restriction of the guards behind him. "You are!" He paused, wondering how he could explain anything to her. "I think I'm from the future," he said carefully, whispering the last part. He had been unsure whether or not he was even in the same universe he thought he was in, but then, upon glancing up at his mother, he was sure. "You're my mom, in the future."

An expression of annoyed disbelief sat on the woman's face, and Henry was crestfallen. "I'm your Little Prince."

One of the guards dug his hand into Henry's shoulder, punishing him for speaking out of turn. "He is lying, Your Majesty. Have him tried for perjury."

Henry's eyes widened, as he turned to the Queen. "I'm not lying!" He said, fruitlessly. "I'm your son!"

The Queen merely rolled her eyes. "Well, dear, you're also wasting my time." She glanced towards the guard. "Take him to the dungeon."

* * *

><p>Henry gripped the bars of his cell, and shouted at the guards who stood only a few steps away. Mostly, his cries remained unaddressed, but other times he was rudely told to shut it.<p>

Some time later, he was unsure how long exactly, Henry heard steady footsteps echo throughout the dank halls, as one of the guards approached his cell, and slipped a tray beneath the door. On it was a plate, and on that plate was the slime that they called lunch.

When the guard noticed Henry's disappointed expression, he sighed, and said "If I may inquire, why would you want to bother the Queen with such nonsense?"

Henry glanced at the tray, and then to the guard. "She's not evil," he said, which caused the guard to chuckle. "She's just misunderstood, and if I could talk to her, maybe she could change."

The guard raised a brow, noticing how serious the boy was. "You really think you could change her ways?"

"Just let me talk to her. I can convince her."

The guard nodded. "I'll put a good word in for you," he said. "And if Her Majesty is in a pleasant mood, there may be an opportunity for you to speak with her."

The man began to leave, but was interrupted by the boy behind the cell. "Tell her I know about Daniel."

* * *

><p>The room seemed to reach impossible heights. Bookshelves towered over those who browsed their contents, stretching up towards the glass that covered the heads below from the inclement weather beyond.<p>

Metal clacked against the wooden floors of the library, as a soldier entered the room with his head held high. "Your Majesty," he said, as he neared the lavish loveseat the Queen sat upon. There was a book laid open across her lap, and as her eyes skittered across the page she turned the page.

Regina glanced up, and eyed the soldier expectantly. "Continue," she said, returning her gaze to the book open on her lap.

"That boy, the one we retrieved today, is being exceedingly persistent in seeing you," said the man, staring intently at the ground beneath her feet.

"And why," Her majesty said, graciously leaning over to take a sip of the wine that sat on the table beside her, "Would you think that this was of interest to me?"

Nervously, the guard glanced up to meet the Queen's cold stare. "He said that he has knowledge of someone named Daniel."

His name caused for a silence to engulf the room. However, if it pertained any importance to the Queen, she did not show it. "What?" She asked, now looking directly at the guard.

"He knew of a man named Daniel."

* * *

><p>Regina Mills sauntered down the stairs that would lead her to the dungeons. Her heels clicked against the stone, causing for a menacing entrance. "How do you know about Daniel?" She asked, stepping out of the shadows and into the light from the torch that illuminated the cell.<p>

Henry neared the bars of the cell, eagerly approaching his mother. "I told you, I'm your son." He paused when he saw the unconvinced mask that she wore.

"Henry Daniel Mills."

She furrowed her brows in confusion, an emotion the Queen did not often allow herself to feel. Confusion was weakness. To be unstoppable, as the Queen intended for herself, one must always know what to expect.

_This _boy was not something she had been expecting.

"What?" Regina questioned, demanding the boy to explain himself.

Henry exhaled in what seemed to be relief. "That's my name. Henry Daniel Mills." He paused for a moment. "I was named after the two most important people in your life."

Regina clenched her jaw, "And what else do you know about Daniel?"

"Not much," Henry answered, nervously biting his lip. "You never told me much about him. You _did _tell me this story when I was little, though. I guess it was about you two."

When the woman remained silent, Henry continued, and recalled his favourite bedtime story his mother had told him. "Once upon a time," he started, "There was a princess."

"She hated dresses and fancy parties, and hated anything to do with royalty. Her mother, though, was strict, and brought in suitors so that she could marry her daughter off to a noble. The princess didn't want that, because she already knew who she was going to marry.

"Her heart belonged to the stable boy. They were in love, but because of her mother, they were forced to hide it. One day, while the princess was returning from her visit to the stables, she spotted a child who'd lost control of her steed. The princess saved her, and her father, the King, was so grateful that he proposed to her. So, on that same night, the princess ran to her true love so that she could marry him instead. At midnight, the lovers ran away and lived..."

Henry paused, and looked at the Queen, unsure. "Happily ever after," he concluded. He hesitated, looking at his mother, "but that didn't happen."

Regina had her eyes locked at her feet. "No," she said, with a tone that indicated the conversation's end. "It did not." She then looked upwards and faced the boy. "Time cannot be warped. So, how did you get here?"

Henry shook his head fervently. "It's possible. I was-" Henry paused, cheeks reddened. "I was stupid. I went into the farmhouse and all of a sudden I fell into the portal."

The Queen chuckled. "You _fell_ into a time portal?"

Henry nodded.

"If I were to believe this atrocious claim," Regina started, "What is it that you want?"

Smiling, Henry gripped the bars separating him from his mother. "I just want to find a way back home. Nothing more."

* * *

><p>AN: Hey guys! Happy New Year! Happy 2015! It's been a while. I had this idea a while back and found some time to write it. I know there are already variations of this story, and this is mine.

I'd love to get to know all of you. My pm is open and my tumblr user is .com so send me an ask or something.

I need to give credit to my friend, astoriia for helping me edit, and you can also find her at .com

I hope you enjoyed the introduction of this story. I know it's short but the following chapters will be longer. Please comment and tell me what you liked about this story, it will mean a great deal to me. Follow, favourite, and review and all those lovely things :D

-Cafe


	2. Decorum with the Queen

**Chapter Two **

Decorum with the Queen

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><p>The Queen waved her hand and turned around, returning to the shadows towards her dwelling.<p>

A small smile graced Henry's lips as he noticed the lock on the cell gone. He pushed the large door and slipped out, quickly following the steps of the Queen. "Wait for me." He hurried up the spiral staircase, following the sound of her heels clicking against the cold stone beneath them. As they reached the surface, he stopped, taking note of the night sky. "Woah."

Regina turned around as the quick paced steps that had been heard a few moments ago ceased. She couldn't help but chuckle as her eyes landed on the boy who was dumbstruck, gaping at the celestial beings that colored the night sky.

She glanced at the bright stars as well, bringing back a sense of nostalgia. In nights that brought her loneliness and sorrow, she always could rely on the stars to keep her company. Regina shook her head and continued walking, however at a slower pace. "Never seen stars before?"

Henry turned his head back towards her, and he beamed, "Nothing like that." He ran towards her, until they were walking side by side. He looked up and his grin grew, "You could barely see any stars back home, but here-" he spun around, with his arms out in the air, "you could see all of them."

Regina shook her head in amusement, "Quite cheerful for someone who was just let out of prison." She said, sauntering through the castle doors.

Henry grinned. "I just always wanted to know what's it like here." He stopped midway and watched as his mother, known as the Evil Queen, walk ahead of him. _She's not that bad, _he thought gaining back his pace and following her to a corridor.

As they reached the end of the corridor, she pushed open the large double doors, revealing a large queen sized bed settled in the middle. She motioned for him towards the room.

Henry's eyes widened, "This is my room?" He asked, glancing between the bed and his mother who nodded slightly.

He moved forward, stepping into the grand room. His eyes roamed the room, landing on the closet, the bathroom, and then the sofa. He turned back around, "Thank-" but noticed Regina gone. His shoulder slumped, but he closed the doors of his room, and stepped towards the middle of the room. "Thank you."

A smile formed as his eyes roamed around his large room. He stepped into the bathroom and grinned as his eyes landed on the exquisite bathtub settled in the middle. He turned around and returned back to the bed. On the bed was a set of clothing. Henry unfolded it and held it in front of him, seeing the weird fashion in the land. However he shrugged his shoulder and made ready for bed.

* * *

><p>The rays from the sun shown through the slits of the curtains shining directly at his eyelids, disrupting his deep slumber. He covered his face with his hand, but soon after, fidgeting on the bed for a while, he pushed himself up and leaned against the headboard.<p>

He stayed in his position for a while, recollecting all that happened the day before. Henry held both his hands against his face, sighing. _Mom's gonna kill me_

Upon the thought, he remembered of his 'Mom' here. He pushed himself off the bed, and managed to wear whatever the garments were called in this land quite decently. He pushed the doors open and ventured out to the great halls.

As he walked along the halls, his stomach growled. He grew more impatient trying to find his mother and breakfast. As he turned a corner for the umpteenth time, he saw a man in the distance. "Hey," he paused, unaware of the titles used in this land. "Mr?"

The man turned around and faced the young boy in disdain. "What did you just call me?"

Henry shrunk back, feeling uncomfortable near his presence. "Um, can you tell me where the Queen is?"

The man held his head high and pursed his lips, "And why do you wish to see the Queen?"

He looked up, biting his lip, "For breakfast?"

The man chuckled at the joke, but when he looked down at the seriousness of the boy, he laughed even more. "You really think you'll be dining with Her Majesty?"

Henry stood awkwardly in front of the man, not knowing what to do. "Uh.. yes?"

The man placed a hand on his shoulder and guided him through the many corridors, "You are not worthy of her presence." He brought him to the kitchen and sat him down at one of the benches. Once he left, a woman placed a bowl of goo in front of him and left.

Henry scrunched up his face looking at the bowl of mulch in front of him. He took the spoon and scooped up a spoonful of the stuff and held it up, watching the excess glob fall back down into the bowl. "Oatmeal?" He wasn't sure.

He closed his eyes and shoved the spoon in his mouth, but was surprised by the taste of it. It wasn't good. That was clear, but it wasn't as horrible as he had expected. He ate a couple spoonfuls more of the stuff and concluded for it to taste something similar to eating a bowl of cereal that was already mixed with milk but left on the counter for a couple of hours.

After stuffing down the stuff, afraid of the kitchen lady who kept glaring at him, he said a quiet 'thank you' and left the kitchen area. Henry returned out into the many halls, wandering from room to room. He wandered to the end of one hall and opened a giant door, peeking his head in. His eyes widened when he saw a massive chandelier hanging from the ceiling. He pulled the door even further but the creaking noise quickly forced him to close the door and leave.

He continued to wander around, not knowing what to do. He stumbled on another giant room at the end of one of the halls. As he stepped closer to the door, he started wondering whether this was the same door as the one previous, however when he pulled open the door to peek in, all of his thoughts ceased.

In the middle of the room was a table with a few trays of food and at the end of the table sat his mother, the Queen as regal as ever. She turned to him and cocked her head to the side, "What are you doing here disrupting my morning?'

He pulled the door a little further to step one step past the door. "Uh." Again, he realized he forgot all the formalities and etiquette of the this world, more importantly his mother's title. "Um," he bowed awkwardly, "Queen," He drew a quick intake of breath realizing what he had called her, "I mean highness," He closed his eyes, internally kicking himself. He paused, composing himself, trying to recall what the man had called her earlier. "I mean Her Majes" he paused, "Your Majesty." He quickly bowed his awkward bow again.

Silence.

He noticed that she was suppressing a smile and realizing that she was pretty the same person as his mom back in Storybrooke, his confidence grew. "Can I come in?"

The Queen nodded, and watched as he clumsily walked around the table, confused as to which end of the table he should be at. She watched as he circled around the table and finally stood beside her.

"Um," He glanced between the chair and his mother. He remembered his mother telling him that no one sat next to the royals but at the opposite of them. However when he looked at the opposite end of the table so far away, he approached the seat next to her. "Can I sit here?" He gripped the edge of the chair, waiting nervously for her reply.

When she nodded, curious about the boy, he pulled the chair, but in doing so, the wood against the ground caused a loud squeak, breaking the silence that had blanketed around them just moments ago.

"Sorry," The end of the word died on his lips when he noticed her glare. He cleared his throat and slipped into the chair.

She watched his every move and when all sound died, she spoke. "I have done some research on time traveling between worlds."

He looked up at her, eager to find good news about travelling back to the comfort of his own home with the family that remembers him. "And?"

"Trolls."

Henry furrowed his brows, "What?"

Her eyes narrowed at the informalities directed to her, and he noticed. "Oh um, I mean, pardon?"

She pursed her lips, "The trolls may be able to help you. They reside near the edge of the forest," she paused, " I've made the arrangements for your departure in a few hours. The journey will take a few days."

Henry slumped down at his seat. "Oh. Okay." He focused on that sliver of hope that these trolls might be able to get him back home. A smile graced his lips at the thought of his grandmother giving the 'hope speech'. "Thanks Mom," he immediately stopped himself.

She flinched. It would've gone unnoticed under anyone's eyes but he knew. "I mean Your Majesty." He noticed though that she had suppressed a small smile, so he dared ask, "is it alright if I call you Mom?"

She pursed her lips again, though silently contemplating. The silence that settled upon them grew and it made him feel very uneasy.

He shifted in his seat, and though only a few seconds passed between them, her silence caused him to blabber on. "I mean, you are my mom, just not yet." He glanced at her again.

Regina stared at the curious boy that sat uncomfortably in front of her. Since the first time he called her his mother, an old feeling swirled in her heart, but she forced it away. However, since the words he spoke at the jail cell, she had found him intriguing. She could've led him to one of the servant rooms for him to sleep, but no, her feet led them to the guest room, like she felt he deserved something more. "It's fine."

She gave him a once-over and found herself asking him a question. "Since, as you claim, I'm your mother, then might I ask who's the father?"

"Oh," He swallowed, "about that." Henry began fumbling with his thumbs."It's hard to explain." He sighed, seeing as how his mother only responded by raising her brow. His shoulders slumped, and he glanced down at his hands. "I'm adopted," he paused, "My biological parents gave me up for adoption and you," he looked up at her, "adopted me. Only you."

She nodded, "And your biological parents?"

He bit the insides of his cheek, "Yeah, they came back, so our relationship got a little rocky." He took a breath, "Long story short, my biological mom is also with me back home," he hesitated, "but my dad died."

Regina looked at his softened features, and when her eyes landed on his hand, she had a strange feeling to offer some comfort to the boy, wanting to hold his hand, but refrained to do so. "He must've been a great man."

He offered her a small smile, "Yeah, he was."

Henry desperately wanted to change the topic, as he felt a wave of emotions surfacing deep inside, his eyes landed on her plate of food. "Why aren't you eating anything?"

She quickly glared at him but understanding his need to change the topic. "Not hungry."

Henry smiled, causing Regina to cock her head in confusion, "What?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing. It's just that you do that back home as well. Why don't you just cook yourself some food, an apple pie or something."

Regina lost her composure for a moment. "I cook?"

"Of course you do. You make the best apple pies in the entire world" He paused, "You love baking." He looked back at her curious eyes, "Do you not cook here? Bake?"

She turned away, shaking herself out of her reverie. "A Queen shouldn't be anywhere near the kitchen with the peasantry."

"Oh." He pondered over her sentence. "Well, in the future you learn how to cook," he quickly added, "not because you're um, peasantry or whatever, but because you love cooking." He smiled recalling all of his best memories with her. "You make the best lasagna and apple pie and cookies."

Regina couldn't help but smile at the thought. She had always wanted to bake since she was a little girl. She glanced out the window and noticed the time of day. "Well, you have some trolls to visit."

* * *

><p>AN: Hey guys, I'm sorry about the late update, but I have my midterms in a week so yeah. I really hope you like this story and will want to continue to read it.

As always, follow, favorite, and review. Your comments really make my day, especially around exam times.

I love you all,

-Cafe


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